Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The Satavahanas retained some administrative structures of Ashokan times. Their district was called Ahara, as it was known in the time of Ashoka, and their officials were known as Amatyas and Mahamatras, as was the case in Maurya times. However, their administrative divisions were also called rashtra, and their high officials were styled Maharashtrikas. 

Statement 2 is correct: The Satavahanas started the practice of granting tax-free villages to Brahmanas and Buddhist monks. The cultivated fields and villages granted to them were declared free from intrusion by royal policemen, soldiers, and other royal officers. These areas therefore became small independent islands within the Satavahana kingdom. Such grants were common in ancient India and were a way for rulers to align themselves with religious and scholarly pursuits while also securing the loyalty and favour of these influential groups.

Ans: C

Exp: 

Nagarjunakonda and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh became important seats of Buddhist culture under the Satavahanas and even more so under their successors, the Ikshvakus.  Nagarjunakonda possesses both Buddhist monuments and the earliest Brahmanical brick temples. Nearly two dozen monasteries can be counted here. The Amaravati stupa is full of sculptures that depict various scenes from the life of the Buddha. The Satavahanas and the Ikshvakus were instrumental in promoting Buddhist culture by granting land to the buddhist monks. In their kingdom, the Mahayana form of Buddhism commanded a considerable following, especially amongst the artisan class.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit. All their inscriptions were composed in this language and written in the Brahmi script (not Aramaic script), as was the case in Ashokan times. 

Statement 2 is correct:  The Satavahanas exhibited characteristics of a matrilineal social structure, as evidenced by their practice of naming kings after their mothers. Names like Gautamiputra and Vashishthiputra highlight the significant role mothers played in their society. Furthermore, inscriptions were occasionally issued jointly by the king and his mother, underscoring the mother’s influence. Queens also held considerable religious influence, making substantial charitable contributions independently, and some even served as regents.

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Gathasattasai, or the Gathasaptasati, is attributed to a Satavahana king called Hala.  It consists of 700 verses. All of the verses are written in Prakrit.

Statement 2 is incorrect: It is composed in the Prakrit language (not Sanskrit). This book is translated into many Indian, European and Middle Eastern languages, and it is considered to be one of the earliest surviving anthologies of Classical Indic Poetry.

Ans: B

Exp:

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct

explanation for Statement-I

During the Satavahana era, highly skilled artisans carved many chaityas (sacred shrines) and viharas (monasteries) out of solid rock in north-western Deccan or Maharashtra. The Chaityas are places of worship with stupas and are used for congregational gatherings, while Viharas are monastic complexes where Buddhist monks and nuns live, study, and meditate. The viharas or monasteries were excavated near the chaityas for the residence of monks during the rainy season. Both chaityas and viharas are integral to Buddhist religious and spiritual life and can be found in various Buddhist sites across Asia.